More Pizza for DFW

Blaze Pizza hopes to fire up Dallas casual dining scene with build-your-own pies

Blaze Pizza, a player in the build-your-own-pizza category, is coming to Dallas.

Courtesy photo

Hope you like pizza. Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza, a player in the booming, build-your-own pizza category, has signed a development agreement to launch in Dallas. The franchising group is Saddles Blazin, an affiliate of Paradigm Investment Group led by Don Wollan, Brian Kelley and Greg Hazard. They already own 105 Hardee’s, TGI Fridays and Jersey Mike’s Subs franchises.

Being such a corporate entity, they remain tight-lipped on the specifics of their development in Dallas. "As of now, we are not able to provide definite opening dates or locations for the restaurants," says spokeswoman Samantha Tyson.

Blaze is part of the very hot trend of faster-than-fast-food pizza with gourmet ambitions. Players include Pie Five; Uncle Maddio's; Live Basil Pizza; The Pizza Studio; Tulsa-based Top That! Pizza; and the Los Angeles-based pacesetter, 800 Degrees Pizza. There's even a locally grown entry called Pizza Snob that opened in January 2014 near TCU in Fort Worth.

Blaze enters the market on the heels of Project Pie, which is moving into Dallas this summer. These pizzerias use an assembly-line format inspired by Chipotle, with bins of toppings that customers can choose from to make their own custom pizza. It goes into a blazing hot open-flame oven and bakes for less than 180 seconds.

Blaze's standard pizza is 11 inches and costs $8. They have a "pizza whisperer" – executive chef Brad Kent, who devised the dough, which requires a 24-hour fermentation.

The menu also features salads, fresh lemonade, craft beer and wine, and house-made s’more pies. Blaze also offers gluten-free dough and vegan cheese.

The chain was founded in 2011 by Elise and Rick Wetzel, co-founder of Wetzel’s Pretzels, and boasts some celebrity investors, including LeBron James, Maria Shriver, Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner and movie producer John Davis. Blaze Pizza currently operates restaurants in Southern California, Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit and Milwaukee.

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Drink It Up

Honey wine headlines Texas Mead & Music Festival's debut in DFW

Photo courtesy of Southwest Festivals

The Texas Mead & Music Festival will make its Dallas-area debut on September 19 at Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie.

Move aside, beer and wine: Another type of alcoholic beverage will take center stage when the Texas Mead & Music Festival makes its North Texas debut at Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie on Saturday, September 19.

According to a release, the festival is a one-day celebration that invites guests to sip, learn, and explore while enjoying meads from 13 award-winning Texas meaderies, five stages of live music, artisan shopping, and more.

The 13th annual event had previously been held in multiple locations in Central Texas, most recently the Heritage Museum in New Braunfels, in 2025.

According to the release, mead is one of the fastest-growing craft beverage categories, as drinkers, food lovers and experience seekers rediscover its rich history, remarkable versatility and distinctly modern appeal.

Crafted by fermenting honey with water and yeast, mead is considered the world's oldest alcoholic beverage, enjoyed for thousands of years by ancient civilizations.

While often referred to as "honey wine," meads can range from crisp and dry to rich and sweet, still or sparkling, depending on the honey used and the addition of fruits, herbs, spices, or botanicals.

The drink was celebrated during medieval feasts and linked with Renaissance history and folklore, making its new location at Scarborough Faire a good fit.

"There is no better place to celebrate mead than Scarborough Faire," said Veronica Castelo, general manager of Southwest Festivals, in a statement. "For decades, guests have associated our Renaissance Festival with mead, history, and craftsmanship. The Texas Mead & Music Festival builds on that tradition while introducing visitors to today's incredible Texas mead makers."

At the festival, guests will be able to taste multiple different meads and discover the mead-making process. VIP guests can also learn the fundamentals of home mead making.

The event is also a music festival, with a full lineup planned throughout the day. Performers will include country group Kin Faux, country artist Don Louis, Americana group Ronnie and The Redwoods, singer-songwriter Henry Merchant, troubadour Matt Hillyer, and more.

In addition to the festival activities, visitors will be able to experience several popular attractions from the upcoming Scarboroughs’ Hollow, including the Blackthorn Haunted Castle, Trickster's 3D Fun House, and the Secrets of Rottingwood Cemetery Scavenger Hunt.

The festival will run from 1-7 pm September 19. Tickets are $38.50 for adults 21 and over and $11 for those 5-20. Adult tickets include festival admission, six mead samples, a commemorative tasting cup, general admission parking, and more.

VIP admission, which is $55, includes one-hour early admission beginning at noon, a dedicated entrance, 12 mead samples, a commemorative tasting cup, and access to Blackthorn Haunted Castle, Trickster's 3D Fun House and the Secrets of Rottingwood Cemetery Scavenger Hunt.

For non-VIP guests, access to the haunted attractions is available for an additional cost, ranging from $7.70-$11 per person per attraction.

A portion of proceeds benefits the Texas Mead Association, supporting education, collaboration and the continued growth of mead making across the state.

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